Youth, Technology and College Access – Podcast Episode 70

Classnotes Podcast 70

Classnotes Podcast (April 12, 2010) Despite a number of initiatives, Hispanic and other minority low-income students are still far underrepresented among college students. And while most efforts focus on high-achieving high school students, IDRA has been tending to students who others had written-off as not college ready, whose assets are not being valued and consequently who do not enroll in higher education. Hector Bojorquez, an IDRA education associate, shares an inspiring story of a group of high school students took leadership in helping their peers access to college information through community technology centers in San Antonio . Hector is interviewed by Aurelio Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center.

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Show Notes

Hector recounts how IDRA first came to work with a group of youth leaders at a Edgewood Family Network-hosted community technology center in the west side of San Antonio.

Hector explains how the students had first bonded through skateboarding, and then around the death of one of their classmates.

Hector describes phase two of the project: TECNO 2.0, and the delightful surprise of returning to this CTC in 2009 after three years away and finding the same group of students still working together. He explains how these students recruited their classmates into the CTC and then further educated their peers on the opportunities to attend college.

Hector talks about working with students at the CTC who want to go to college, but who have internalized the perception that they're "not college material."

Hector explains why using PSAT results as an indicator of college readiness is a "flawed system."

Hector shares his two key learnings from his time at the CTC: (1) Given the opportunity, any student can lead and (2) Given the opportunity, every student should go to college.